Detachable bead having two part insert



Dec. 12, 1967 A. DAVIS 3,357,204

DETACHABLE BEAD HAVING TWO PART INSERT Filed Feb. 15, 1965 I NVENTOR f/erz Java s United States Patent M 3,357,204 DETACHABLE BEAD HAVING TWO PART INSERT Albert Davis, Cranston, R.I., assignor to Best Plastics, Inc., Providence, R.I., a corporation of Rhode Island Filed Feb. 15, 1965, Ser. No. 432,562 4 Claims. (Cl. 632) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A detachable bead for necklaces and the like having a bore extending therethrough with a male insert at one end of the bore and a female insert at the other end of the bore, said inserts being separate and distinct parts but being secured to each other within the bore, said inserts further having means for preventing axial shifting of the assembled inserts with respect to the bore.

The present invention relates generally to the jewelry art, and is more particularly concerned with the provision of novel and improved detachable beads which may be easily interconnected to each other to form a continuous beaded strand for use in a necklace or bracelet construction.

A primary object of this invention is the provision of detachable beads adapted to be interconnected to form a beaded strand wherein no string or the like need be employed to maintain the beads in their desired assembled relation.

Another object is the provision of detachable beads wherein the body portion of each bead is constructed of a rigid, non-yielding material.

A further object is the provision of detachable beads having separate male and female portions assembled therewith.

Another object of this invention is the provision of detachable beads of the character described having novel and improved means for assembling the male and female connecting portions to each other and with the bead body.

A further object of my invention is the provision of detachable beads so constructed as to make it practical and feasible to extrude the bead bodies.

Still another object of my invention is the provision of novel and improved detachable beads that are easy to interconnect'an'd disconnect, but which are nevertheless so constructed as to minimize inadvertent detachment of the beads. j 1:

A further object is the provision of detachable beads of the character described that are durable and long lasting in use, attractive to look at, and yet economically feasible to manufacture.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawings which illustrate the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the present invention:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view showing a plurality of beads in interconnected relation;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational sectional view illustrating the interconnection between adjacent beads;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the bead body portion per se;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the female element which forms a part of the instant construction; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the male element which forms a part of the instant construction.

It has been found that a highly attractive and uniqueappearing ornamental plastic bead can be achieved where 3,357,294 Patented Dec. 12, 1967 the bead is made by an extrusion process, rather than by injection molding as has customarily been the process utilized in making beads of this type heretofore. However, where the beads are molded by an extrusion process, experience has proven that it is not possible to have integral neck and head extensions integrally molded as a part of the bead, as is done, for example, in the injection molded beads illustrated in Charles Patent No. 2,714,269 issued Aug. 2, 1955. In order to overcome this problem, where it is desired to utilize an extruded bead, I have provided a separate part adapted to be assembled with and secured to the bead, which part functions as the male connector. In addition, a second part is also associated with and secured within the bead, said second part functioning as the female connector for snap-receiving the male connector of the next adjacent bead. Where separate male and female connectors are associated with the bead, it is essential that means be provided for readily enabling these separate parts to be effectively assembled within each bead in a manner that will not result in prohibitive manufacturing costs. In addition it is of utmost importance that during the operation and use of the beads, and, more specifically, during the detachment of adjacent beads, there be no likelihood that either the male or female connector will be inadvertently pulled out from the beads within which they are mounted.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2. thereof, there is shown generally at 10 a beaded strand illustrating, the present invention. The beaded strand 10 comprises a plurality of individual I beads 12, each of which comprises a body portion 14 having a bore 16 extending therethrough. The body portion 14 may be of any suitable and desired ornamental configuration and preferably is a hard, rigid molded plastic, such as styrene, for example. The body portion 14 may be molded either by an injection molding or an extrusion process, although, as hereinbefore described, the instant invention is of particular value where the body portions are extruded.

Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown generally at 18 a female connector constructed of a resilient material having substantially the characteristics of polyethylene, for example. The female connector 18 comprises a hollow tubular body 20 open atone end as at 22, and closed at its other end by an integral wall 24. As will be clearly'seen in FIGS. 2 and 4, the diameterof wall 24 is somewhat greater than the outer diameter of the tubular body 20 whereupon, in effect, the marginal portion of wall 24 defines an outwardly extending peripheral flange 26. Centrally disposed in wall 24 is an aperture 28, it

, being noted that the diameter of aperture 28 is substantially less than the inner diameter of the tubular body 20. The outer diameter of tubular body 20 is such that the member 18 may be snugly and slidably received within bore 16, it being understood that the peripheral flange 26 will function to limit the inward sliding movement of the part 18.

Referring now to FIG. 5, there is shown generally at 30 a male connector that is preferably constructed of a hard, rigid material, such as styrene or the like, although it will be understood that any hard material, such as a suitable metal, could be used for this part. The connector 30 comprises a solid cylindrical body portion 32 beveled at its inner edge, as at 34, and terminating in a reduced extension 36. For reasons hereinafter to be made apparent, the extension 36 is convoluted as at 38. At the opposite end of the cylindrical body portion 32 there is provided a marginal flange 40 from which there integrally extends a reduced neck portion 42 terminating in a rounded head 44. The diameter of head 44 is slightly larger than that of the aforedescribed aperture 28, while the outer diameter of the convolutions 38 is somewhat larger than the inner diameter of the tubular body 20.

The assembly of the parts 18 and 30 within the head 12 is amazingly simple. It is only necessary to slide the parts 1 8 and 39 into bore 16 from'oppositeends thereof until the flanges 26 and 40' prevent further inward movement of these parts. As these parts are pressed inwardly, the extension 36 and convolutions 38 are forced through the open end 22 of tubular body portion 20 and form a tight and secure press fit within the'tubular body, as illustrated most clearly in FIG. 2. The inherent resilience of the part 18 enables the extension 36 to be forced therein, while the convolntions 38 further facilitate entry of the extension 36 within the tubular body 20, but once completelyforced therein, as shown .in FIG. 2, the convolutions' 38 bite into the inner surface of the tubular body 20 and prevent separation of the parts 18 and 30; The fact that the beads 12 are preferably constructed of a hard, rigid material further enhances the tight securement between the parts 18 and 30', since, as the extension'36 is forced into the tubular body 20, theunyielding' inner surface of bore 16 forms a firm support that prevents any appreciable outward extension of the tubular body 20.

With the parts 18 and 30 assembled and secured within the bead 12, as described supra, adjacent beads may be easily interconnected or disconnected simply by forcingthe head 44 associated with one bead into and. through the aperture 28 associated with the next adjacent bead. This results in a snap connection similar to that which is wellknown inthe art and that which is illustrated in the aforementioned US. Patent #2,7l4,269. Since the parts 18 and 30 are tightly secured to each other, as hereinbefore explained in detail, theflanges 26 and 40 elfectively prevent any axial'movement of the parts 18 and 30 with respect to the bead 12 and'the' bore 16within which these parts are mounted. Thus, so'long as the securernent'between the parts 18 and 3% is an'etfective one, as'is the case here, thereis no possibility that during detachment of adjacent beads either the part 18 or the part 30 will inadvertently be. pulled out of its respective bead.

Whilethere is shown and described herein certain specific structure embodying the invention, it will be manifest to'those skilled in the art that various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may be made without.departing from'the spirit and scope of the underlying inventive concept and that the same is not limited to' the particular forms'herein shown and described except insofar as indicated by'th'e scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A bead comprising a body portion having .a bore extending therethrough, a first. part snugly received in one end-of said bore and havinga male connector member extendingtherefrom to a point outside said one end ofsaid bore, a separate and distinct second part snuglyreceived in the other end of said bore and having a female socket located at the extremity of said other end of said bore, said female socket being adapted to snap-receive the male connector member of another similar bead, and cooperating means on the inner ends of said first and second parts forsecuring said part-s directly to each other within the bore of i said body portion, said parts further having outwardly projecting portions positioned justoutside of opposite ends ofsaid bore; saidportions' contacting the exterior bead surface at opposite ends of the bore thus preventing axial movement of said assembled parts with respect to said bore.

2. The head of claim 1 further characterized in that said first part is of rigid material and said second part is of a-resilient material having substantially the characteristics of polyethylene.

3; The bead of claim 1 further characterized in that said cooperating means comprise an extension at the inner end of said first part and a hollow tubular portion atthe inner end of said second part, said extension being pressfitted into said hollow tubularportion.

4. A head comprising a body portion having a bore extending therethrough, a first part of rigid material snugly received in said bore, said first part having fiange means located just outside of said bore for limiting inward movement of saidfirst part with respect to said body portion, a reduced neck extending outwardly from said flange means in an axial direction with respect to said bore and terminating in a head portion, said first part further comprising an axial: extension at its inner end within said bore, a second partof resilient material having substantially the characteristics of polyethylene snuglyreceived in said bore, said second part being of-hollow tubular construction open at its inner end but having wall means at its outer end'located just outside of said bore, said wall means-being larger than said bore whereby to limit inward movement of saidsecondpartwith respect to said bore, andan aperture in said wall means slightly smaller than said head portion, said axial extension being press-fitted within said open end of said second part whereby said parts are secured to eachbtber within said body portion, and whereby said flange means and wallmeanspreventv-axial movement of said partswith respect to said body portion.

References Cited UNITED I STATES PATENTS 3",O66,501" 12/ 1962 Charles etal; 632 3,277,602 10/1966 Sp'e'erset'al 46'-l61' FOREIGN PATENTS 919,367 2/1963 Great Britain.

F. BARRY SHAY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A BEAD COMPRISING A BODY PORTION HAVING A BORE EXTENDING THERETHROUGH, A FIRST PART SNUGLY RECEIVED IN ONE END OF SAID BORE AND HAVING A MALE CONNECTOR MEMBER EXTENDING THEREFROM TO A POINT OUTSIDE SAID ONE END OF SAID BORE, A SEPARATE AND DISTINCT SECOND PART SNUGLY RECEIVED IN THE OTHE END OF SAID BORE AND HAVING A FEMALE SOCKET LOCATED AT THE EXTREMITY OF SAID OTHER END OF SAID BORE, SAID FEMALE SOCKET BEING ADAPTED TO SNAP-RECEIVE THE MALE CONNECTOR MEMBER OF ANOTHER SIMILAR BEAD, AND COOPERATING MEANS ON THE INNER ENDS OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND PARTS OF SECURING SAID PARTS DIRECTLY TO EACH OTHER WITHIN THE BORE OF SAID BODY PORTION, SAID PARTS FURTHER HAVING OUTWARDLY PROJECTING PORTIONS POSITIONED JUST OUTSIDE OF OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID BORE, SAID PORTIONS CONTACTING THE EXTERIOR BEAD SURFACE AT OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE BORE THUS PRREVENTING AXIAL MOVEMENT OF SAID ASSEMBLED PARTS WITH RESPECT TO SAID BORE. 